


Between the Lines

by ReaderJane



Category: Stephanie Plum - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-30
Updated: 2004-06-30
Packaged: 2017-10-06 07:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReaderJane/pseuds/ReaderJane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rewrite of a scene from Ten Big Ones, written for the TBO POV challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between the Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: it's all Janet's

I was hauling the remains of my armchair to the garbage when my phone rang. Bob didn't appreciate being left alone while I worked a double shift. But running down leads on Junkman was a top priority, and Bob had been left to his own devices.

My caller ID showed Stephanie's cell number. "What?" I snapped, more angrily than I'd intended. My stomach twisted. Only Stephanie could make me worried and relieved at the same time.

"It's me. Have you been trying to call me?"

I must have dialed her phone ten times last night. Wondering where she was, if she was still alive. "Yeah. Next time you call, leave a message so I know you're okay."

"Sorry. I wasn't calling for anything special. And then I misplaced my phone."

"Junkman got his cop," I told her. I had thrown up when we found the cop. Something I hadn't done in years. But when I realized the killer was targeting Stephanie next, I lost control.

"I just heard."

"I'd feel better if I knew where you were."

"No you wouldn't," she said. "But you'd worry less." I knew what that meant. Manoso was hiding her somewhere. She trusted him to hide her, but not me. On the one hand I couldn't blame her. He had the men and resources to protect her. When I left the house, the only guard at home was Bob.

On the other hand, while her life might be safer her body was not. Manoso wanted her, and Stephanie had always been attracted to the dangerous. In the past that had worked to my advantage. The more her mother warned her about boys like me, the more Stephanie's eyes glittered. Now that I wanted to settle down with her, all she did was back away.

But I had an ace up my sleeve. Of all Stephanie's hot buttons, the hottest was betrayal. She had been paranoid about being cheated on ever since she caught that asshole Orr with Joyce. And as long as she believed we were in a relationship together, she wouldn't cheat on me.

"I can read between the lines on that one. Be careful," I said, hoping she could read between the lines too.

"You trust me."

"Yeah."

"That's really rotten."

"I know. Live with it." I hung up smiling, confident I'd hung on to her for another day.

Now if she could just stay alive another night.


End file.
